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Aspirin’s Benefits Confirmed in Preventing Cardiovascular Events
ROCKVILLE, Md.—Time and research was all they needed. Now, five years after finding insufficient evidence for the recommendation of routine aspirin use to prevent CHD, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has changed its tune. Backed by data from three major clinical studies, the task force has confirmed that aspirin therapy lowers the risk of heart attack by 28%. Multicenter trials, comprising mostly men aged 40 to 75, found that aspirin regimens of 75 mg per day taken over four to seven years were as effective in preventing CHD events as 325 mg every other day.
In its recommendations, the task force strongly urges clinicians to visit and revisit the topic with patients. Physicians should discuss both the benefits and risks associated with chemoprevention every five years with men over age 40, postmenopausal women, and other patients with risk factors such as high cholesterol, diabetes, or a history of smoking.
Routine aspirin use did not appear to prevent stroke but did increase the likelihood of gastrointestinal bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke slightly, according to USPSTF.
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